As a close observer and student of user interface design, I am nearly overcome by rage and revulsion every time I have to buy gas. Not because of the price (I think gas is too cheap), but by the pump. It's as though the pumps were designed in the 1960s Soviet Union by retarded sadists. No though whatsoever is given to user-friendliness, only to crude functionality.
First, I stick my credit card in the slot, usually the wrong way. There are four possible ways to put the card in, and it's not obvious which is the correct way. If the slot were horizontal instead of vertical, most people would assume that you put the card in face up, which reduces the number of possibilities to two. Putting a read head on both sides of the slot would allow it to read the card either way.
Next, I have to select credit or debit. I hunt around the keypad for the right button. They keypad is cluttered with useless and redundant buttons such as "Yes" and "Ok" and "Enter", or "No" and "Cancel", often leaving me guessing as to which one to use. Some buttons are different colors, but the color coding is only more confusing, not helpful.
Now the machine starts making horrible screeching sounds, presumably because it wants my attention. It's got it already. The shrieks are not helpful. It wants me to enter my zip code on that horrible membrane keypad. There is no tactile feedback, and sometimes you have to press each button fairly hard. It's not immediately obvious when the button press has registered, since there is a slight lag between pressing the button and the number appearing on the screen. Sometimes it makes a horrible shriek after each button press, but there's a lag with that too so the feedback only confuses and irritates me rather than helping me. After entering my zip code, I have to press enter. This is an unnecessary step. The machine knows that your zip code is 5 digits, so it should proceed after the 5th digit.
The screen is usually small, dim, and difficult to read. It refreshes slowly, so visual feedback is not instantaneous. This leaves you wondering if it's doing the right thing for a moment every time you push a button.
Next I have to select the type of gas. The gas selector buttons are in different places on different pumps, and often they are easily confused with stickers indicating the octane rating, so I often end up pressing the wrong sticker or else pressing everthing in sight. Often, there is no tactile feedback from this button either, and the ear-piercing shriek which acknowledges my selection does not come for a second or so, leaving me wondering if I did the right thing.
Now it beeps a few more times, and tells me to start pumping. But it's just teasing, really, because when I pull the trigger nothing happens. I have to wait another 5 seconds or so before it's really ready to start.
Most irritating of all are the new pumps which have video screens that blast advertising at me while I'm pumping my gas. I don't want to be assaulted with this crap! Where's the off button?
Here's how Apple's gas pump would work:
The large, bright touchscreen prompts you to swipe your credit card by showing a graphic of a card going into the horizontal slot, and pointing to the slot, which is right below the screen. It doesn't matter which way you put the card in, because it can read it both ways.
After the card is read, the screen instantly displays large "credit" and "debit" buttons. Since it's a touchscreen, you just touch the correct button. Feedback is instantaneous; there is no perceptible lag between touching and the screen changing. When you touch the screen, you hear a friendly, happy sounding bleep which gives you audible feedback. Again, this feeback is instantaneous - you hear the sound before your finger leaves the screen.
You enter your zip code, again using the touch screen. After the 5th digit, the screen instantly changes, and prompts you to select the type of gas to pump. Again, it's a touchscreen so you just touch the right button on the screen. You dont even have to press hard. While you select the type of gas, it's authorizing your credit card in the background, so you don't have to wait for it.
Now it's time to pump. Ideally, the pump should start up instantly. If there is some good reason why this is impossible, then the screen should show a countdown clock counting down the seconds until the gas is ready to flow. You are never in doubt about what the machine is doing or how long it will take.
While it is pumping, there may be a button on the screen that you can touch to turn on the audiovisual advertising/entertainment assult, just in case you are a desperately bored loser with ADD.
When the pump stops, you are prompted with a cheerful sound, and if you want a receipt you can touch a button on the screen to print one out.
I recently encountered a self-service ordering kiosk at a Carl's Jr. It worked much like the Apple gas pump I just described. Fast, friendly, and intuitive, it was a joy to use. Now why can't gas stations do the same thing? It seems to me like friendly gas pumps would be a competitive advantage.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
What the republicans don’t get.
As promised, my rant on republicans. (Disclaimer: I am a libertarian)
1. The middle-eastern terrorists hate us because of what we do, not because of who we are.
It seems that a majority of republicans believe that the terrorists hate us because we are a wealthy, (relatively) free society, and that our existence is offensive to fundamentalist Islamists, who therefore want to destroy us. This is nonsense. Certainly, Islamic fundamentalists have pointed to our liberalism and used it to fan the flames of rage against us, but the root cause of that rage is the fact that the US has been meddling in the politics middle east for decades.
We have overthrown governments, installed and supported brutal dictators, sold weapons, financed rebellions, and installed military bases since the 1950s. In the process, we have managed to piss off nearly every country, tribe, and leader in the region. If they were doing it to us, we would be outraged, and we would fight back. Why shouldn’t they?
Ron Paul is the only Republican presidential candidate who gets this. Even the leading democrats don’t come out and say it very clearly.
2. We will never stop terrorism with aggression and force.
Aggression and military occupation of Islamic countries will only provoke more terrorist actions.
The only way to stop terrorism is to withdraw completely from the middle east. Close the military bases, stop all military aid and weapons sales, and stop supporting Israel. Leave them all alone, and they will leave us alone.
3. Those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither, and shall lose both.
Ben Franklin said that, or something like it. By giving up our civil liberties in the war on terrorism, we are giving up who we are, and we are losing the war.
The democrats have a problem with this one as well, but in their case they wish to trade economic liberty for economic security. The result is often just as bad.
4. Keep your religious views out of government
Abortion, the right to die, stem cell research… all of these issues hinge on your view of what life is and what life means. Many people’s understanding of these issues comes from their religious background and teachings. Therefore, government should stay out of these issues and let people decide for themselves what life means to them. To do otherwise is to impose your religious beliefs on others, which is wrong.
Personally, I do no think that an unconscious lump of cells is deserving of any rights. The greater consciousness/sentience/awareness a being has, the more rights and respect it deserves. I think it hypocritical to eat cows and then condemn people for aborting one month old fetuses.
Additionally, each individual must have complete autonomy over his own life. If someone makes a carefully considered, informed and deliberate decision to end his life, nobody else has a right to object or to prevent him from ending it.
5. The war on drugs is a disaster and should be stopped immediately.
The drug war does more harm than good. It costs a fortune, and fills up our prisons. People have the right to make informed decisions about what to put into their own bodies.
We should legalize marijuana completely, legalize possession of all substances, and legalize sale of substances with some sort of regulation, perhaps a prescription system to ensure that users are making careful, informed decisions and are not becoming addicted and suffering adverse consequences.
1. The middle-eastern terrorists hate us because of what we do, not because of who we are.
It seems that a majority of republicans believe that the terrorists hate us because we are a wealthy, (relatively) free society, and that our existence is offensive to fundamentalist Islamists, who therefore want to destroy us. This is nonsense. Certainly, Islamic fundamentalists have pointed to our liberalism and used it to fan the flames of rage against us, but the root cause of that rage is the fact that the US has been meddling in the politics middle east for decades.
We have overthrown governments, installed and supported brutal dictators, sold weapons, financed rebellions, and installed military bases since the 1950s. In the process, we have managed to piss off nearly every country, tribe, and leader in the region. If they were doing it to us, we would be outraged, and we would fight back. Why shouldn’t they?
Ron Paul is the only Republican presidential candidate who gets this. Even the leading democrats don’t come out and say it very clearly.
2. We will never stop terrorism with aggression and force.
Aggression and military occupation of Islamic countries will only provoke more terrorist actions.
The only way to stop terrorism is to withdraw completely from the middle east. Close the military bases, stop all military aid and weapons sales, and stop supporting Israel. Leave them all alone, and they will leave us alone.
3. Those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither, and shall lose both.
Ben Franklin said that, or something like it. By giving up our civil liberties in the war on terrorism, we are giving up who we are, and we are losing the war.
The democrats have a problem with this one as well, but in their case they wish to trade economic liberty for economic security. The result is often just as bad.
4. Keep your religious views out of government
Abortion, the right to die, stem cell research… all of these issues hinge on your view of what life is and what life means. Many people’s understanding of these issues comes from their religious background and teachings. Therefore, government should stay out of these issues and let people decide for themselves what life means to them. To do otherwise is to impose your religious beliefs on others, which is wrong.
Personally, I do no think that an unconscious lump of cells is deserving of any rights. The greater consciousness/sentience/awareness a being has, the more rights and respect it deserves. I think it hypocritical to eat cows and then condemn people for aborting one month old fetuses.
Additionally, each individual must have complete autonomy over his own life. If someone makes a carefully considered, informed and deliberate decision to end his life, nobody else has a right to object or to prevent him from ending it.
5. The war on drugs is a disaster and should be stopped immediately.
The drug war does more harm than good. It costs a fortune, and fills up our prisons. People have the right to make informed decisions about what to put into their own bodies.
We should legalize marijuana completely, legalize possession of all substances, and legalize sale of substances with some sort of regulation, perhaps a prescription system to ensure that users are making careful, informed decisions and are not becoming addicted and suffering adverse consequences.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
What the democrats don't get
I just watched another democratic presidential candidate debate, and again found myself shouting at the TV in frustration and disgust. I don't like any of them. (Disclaimer: I am a libertarian. I have just as many rants about the republicans, and I will write about them later.)
1. Incentives matter.
If you want to change people's behavior, the most effective way to do that is with financial reward/punishment. Appealing to their conscience/guilt/higher self is ineffective. If you want blue apples, you can pass a law that mandates blue apples, but that won't get you any blue apples. You can tell people that blue apples are good for you and red apples cause cancer, but you still won't get any. However, if you put a $5 tax on non-blue apples, or a $5 subsidy on blue apples, you will soon have blue apples coming out of your ears.
Many democrats seem to think that people will conserve energy for the good of the environment, for the good of the country, etc. But that's ridiculous. People will conserve energy if it pays for them to, and right now energy is so cheap that there is often little incentive to conserve it. Mandating more fuel efficient cars, mandating electric cars, and forcing other conservation measures down peoples throats is absolutely the wrong approach. Taxing carbon emissions to raise the price of pollution and raise the price of oil will be far more effective.
2. Business don't pay taxes.
Most democrats seem to think that they can stick it to businesses without hurting the little guy. But guess what. Businesses will directly pass on any taxes to the consumer in the form of higher prices for goods and services. So taxing businesses only increases costs for consumers and makes our businesses less competitive with foreign ones.
3. The federal government should not be involved in either education or health care.
The constitution clearly delineates what the federal government is responsible for, and leaves the rest to the states. Education and health care are clearly, clearly state matters. If you want to change that, amend the constitution.
5. Competition is essential to efficiency and innovation.
Democrats frequently seem to have tremendous faith in government, and believe that it can be efficient and innovative. It cannot, because it has no competition. The private sector can do almost anything better, cheaper, and more creatively than government. Government will invariably be bloated, beaurocratic, costly, and ineffective, because it has no incentive to be otherwise. Therefore, it's better to leave as much as possible to the private sector. Defense is an obvious exception.
Just one example: the state of California spends about $11,000 per student per year for primary education, while private schools provide equal or better education for about $4500 per year. Public education costs nearly 3 times as much because most of the money goes to the massive beaurocracy. Private schools, by necessity, are leaner and more efficient, but are just as effective.
6. The wealthy already pay most of the taxes, and the middle class pay almost none.
Democrats always, always, always insinuate that the wealthy do not pay their fair share of taxes, that they get unfair tax cuts, and that the middle class shoulder the burden. This table shows that that is simply not true. Study it for a minute and you will be shocked and amazed, as I first was.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/250.html (Table 1)
The top 10% of taxpayers pay 70% of the taxes! The top 50% pay 97% of the taxes!! The bottom 50% pay only 3%!!!
The wealthy pay a greater percentage of their income in taxes. This is not what the democrats want you to believe! Any tax cut will, by definition, go to the people who are paying the taxes, which are the wealthy. You cannot give tax cuts to the poor, because they do not pay any significant amount of taxes.
You can argue about whether this is as it should be or not, and you can argue that raising or lowering taxes on the wealthy is good or bad, but you cannot argue that the wealthy do not already pay the majority of taxes.
7. Spending more money (and raising taxes) is not the solution to every problem.
Tax and spend... how unimaginative. Hillary has said she has a million good ideas but America cannot afford them all. That's for damn sure! Spending money is fun and easy, and makes you popular. But with a little more effort and creativity, we can often find better ways to solve our problems. Typically, this means allowing or incentivising the private sector to solve them for us. Working smarter, not harder. Removing barriers and beaurocracy, not creating more.
8. The law of unintended consequences.
Lawmakers with the best intentions often try to regulate this or legislate that, but every government action has unintended consequences which are often worse than the problem they were trying to solve. Very often, it is better to let the market solve a problem than to try to legislate a solution which may not work as intended.
Case in point: corn ethanol subsidies slow the development of better, more efficient biofuels, and raise the cost of food. Rent control results in higher rents, not lower. Federal aid for college students raises the cost of tuition. Raising minimum wage increases unemployment. Urban planning results in increased traffic and congestion.
Government can often serve us best by leaving us alone.
1. Incentives matter.
If you want to change people's behavior, the most effective way to do that is with financial reward/punishment. Appealing to their conscience/guilt/higher self is ineffective. If you want blue apples, you can pass a law that mandates blue apples, but that won't get you any blue apples. You can tell people that blue apples are good for you and red apples cause cancer, but you still won't get any. However, if you put a $5 tax on non-blue apples, or a $5 subsidy on blue apples, you will soon have blue apples coming out of your ears.
Many democrats seem to think that people will conserve energy for the good of the environment, for the good of the country, etc. But that's ridiculous. People will conserve energy if it pays for them to, and right now energy is so cheap that there is often little incentive to conserve it. Mandating more fuel efficient cars, mandating electric cars, and forcing other conservation measures down peoples throats is absolutely the wrong approach. Taxing carbon emissions to raise the price of pollution and raise the price of oil will be far more effective.
2. Business don't pay taxes.
Most democrats seem to think that they can stick it to businesses without hurting the little guy. But guess what. Businesses will directly pass on any taxes to the consumer in the form of higher prices for goods and services. So taxing businesses only increases costs for consumers and makes our businesses less competitive with foreign ones.
3. The federal government should not be involved in either education or health care.
The constitution clearly delineates what the federal government is responsible for, and leaves the rest to the states. Education and health care are clearly, clearly state matters. If you want to change that, amend the constitution.
5. Competition is essential to efficiency and innovation.
Democrats frequently seem to have tremendous faith in government, and believe that it can be efficient and innovative. It cannot, because it has no competition. The private sector can do almost anything better, cheaper, and more creatively than government. Government will invariably be bloated, beaurocratic, costly, and ineffective, because it has no incentive to be otherwise. Therefore, it's better to leave as much as possible to the private sector. Defense is an obvious exception.
Just one example: the state of California spends about $11,000 per student per year for primary education, while private schools provide equal or better education for about $4500 per year. Public education costs nearly 3 times as much because most of the money goes to the massive beaurocracy. Private schools, by necessity, are leaner and more efficient, but are just as effective.
6. The wealthy already pay most of the taxes, and the middle class pay almost none.
Democrats always, always, always insinuate that the wealthy do not pay their fair share of taxes, that they get unfair tax cuts, and that the middle class shoulder the burden. This table shows that that is simply not true. Study it for a minute and you will be shocked and amazed, as I first was.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/250.html (Table 1)
The top 10% of taxpayers pay 70% of the taxes! The top 50% pay 97% of the taxes!! The bottom 50% pay only 3%!!!
The wealthy pay a greater percentage of their income in taxes. This is not what the democrats want you to believe! Any tax cut will, by definition, go to the people who are paying the taxes, which are the wealthy. You cannot give tax cuts to the poor, because they do not pay any significant amount of taxes.
You can argue about whether this is as it should be or not, and you can argue that raising or lowering taxes on the wealthy is good or bad, but you cannot argue that the wealthy do not already pay the majority of taxes.
7. Spending more money (and raising taxes) is not the solution to every problem.
Tax and spend... how unimaginative. Hillary has said she has a million good ideas but America cannot afford them all. That's for damn sure! Spending money is fun and easy, and makes you popular. But with a little more effort and creativity, we can often find better ways to solve our problems. Typically, this means allowing or incentivising the private sector to solve them for us. Working smarter, not harder. Removing barriers and beaurocracy, not creating more.
8. The law of unintended consequences.
Lawmakers with the best intentions often try to regulate this or legislate that, but every government action has unintended consequences which are often worse than the problem they were trying to solve. Very often, it is better to let the market solve a problem than to try to legislate a solution which may not work as intended.
Case in point: corn ethanol subsidies slow the development of better, more efficient biofuels, and raise the cost of food. Rent control results in higher rents, not lower. Federal aid for college students raises the cost of tuition. Raising minimum wage increases unemployment. Urban planning results in increased traffic and congestion.
Government can often serve us best by leaving us alone.
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